Buzz in a can

Energy drinks are loaded with caffeine, sugar and risk for young people

Energy drinks are big business. Just check the shelves in your local market and notice how many brands and various sizes exist. Claiming to increase energy, increase alertness, improve athletic performance and compensate for insufficient sleep, even the drink names convey strength, power and speed – Monster Energy, Full Throttle, AMP.

The beverages are sold in convenience stores, grocery stores and in some bars and nightclubs. Most are carbonated and contain a blend of B vitamins, amino acids, sugar, various herbal supplements and forms of caffeine.

They are marketed primarily to children, adolescents and young adults.

Recent reports reveal more than $6.9 billion in sales with a 19.4 percent increase in 2012. Red Bull is leading the category with approximately a 40 percent market share and nearly $2.8 billion in sales. Research has shown that energy drinks are the most popular supplement besides a multivitamin among adolescents and the young adult population with more than 50 percent of the market under the age of 35.

Caffeine is the most common ingredient (along with sugar) used in energy drinks. If you drink caffeine to keep you on your toes throughout the day, you are not alone. More than 80 percent of American adults consume some type of caffeine daily.

Caffeine consumption before exercise has been shown to improve endurance in athletes and also utilize fat stores for energy. Mark Kern, professor of nutrition at San Diego State University and a board certified specialist in sports dietetics, states that a small amount of caffeine “one hour before exercise is a safe dose.” However, he cautions the use of these drinks in excessive amounts.

For an average male weighing 150 pounds, a small amount would be approximately 200 milligrams. A 12-ounce Red Bull contains 114 milligrams of caffeine, whereas a 16-ounce can of Rockstar contains 240 milligrams.

“While the most obvious benefit is an energy boost as a result of sugar and high levels of caffeine, these are also the areas that can cause problems with extended or excessive use,” said Scott Tinley, professor and lecturer at San Diego State University’s Department of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences and member of the Triathlon Hall of Fame,

The positive effects of caffeine are highly variable and dose-dependent, and have not been studied extensively in children and adolescents. In healthy adults, a caffeine intake of 200 to 300 milligrams per day is considered safe. This is equivalent to about two to four 8-ounce cups of brewed coffee. The caffeine level in energy drinks is typically at a concentration of 75 to 80 milligrams per 8-ounce serving, though some products contain up to 300 milligrams per 8 ounces.

It is important to recognize that some brands are sold in only 16- and 24- ounce sizes and are consumed more often in those quantities rather than in the 8-ounce serving size listed on the label. Depending on the product size and the amount consumed, this could possibly lead to a daily ingestion of approximately 720 milligrams of caffeine, two to three times the recommended amount.

Caffeine dilemma

The problem with most energy drinks, however, is that it’s difficult to figure out how much caffeine you’re actually getting. Because the FDA does not regulate the caffeine amounts in energy drinks, most drink manufacturers choose not to identify the caffeine content on product packaging or the Internet.

Although the FDA limits the caffeine content in sodas, which are categorized as food, there is no such regulation of energy drinks, which are classified as dietary supplements. The FDA enforces a limit of 71 milligrams of caffeine per 12 fluid ounces of soda, with many soft drinks containing far less than the limit.

Energy drink manufacturers often get around this limit by claiming that their drinks are natural dietary supplements, which the FDA does not regulate.

Only Red Bull is marketed as a food/beverage and does go through regulation by the FDA.

Some of the drinks have herbal compounds which contain caffeine in the form of guarana. Each gram of guarana can contain 40 to 80 milligrams of caffeine. Manufacturers are not required to list the caffeine content from these ingredients. So, the actual caffeine dose in a single serving may exceed that listed on the label; if it is even listed.

“I’d want users (of energy drinks) to realize that herbal supplements can have a powerful effect on the body and should not be considered lightly,” Tinley said. “The amount and levels of supplements are not well regulated or controlled and are understudied in many sectors. Why treat your body as a rolling lab in hopes of going a tiny bit faster?”

Safety determinations are made solely by the manufacturers with no requirements for testing, warning labels or restriction against sales or consumption by minors.

Side effects

There are potential side effects of too much caffeine. These can include dependence on caffeine, dehydration, insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, gastric irritation, nausea, vomiting, rapid heart rate, tremors and anxiety with the most severe being caffeine toxicity. These effects have been reported in doses as low as 250 to 300 milligrams in some people.

After consuming a single energy drink, children and teenagers can exceed the caffeine adverse-effect level beyond their baseline dietary exposure. Adolescent caffeine consumption should not exceed 100 milligrams per day.

Today, most nutrition experts agree that energy drink use is excessive among youths. The American Academy of Pediatrics is opposed to the use by children and adolescents.

“Energy drinks are abused in youth sports because of the caffeine ‘high’ they get from drinking them, since they contain about three times as much caffeine as a Coke. Part of the problem is the additional caffeine from other ingredients such as guarana, which the manufacturers do not have to list the caffeine content,” said Dr. Paul Stricker, youth sports medicine specialist at Scripps Health. “One study showed that almost 50 percent of caffeine overdoses are in kids less than 19 years of age. ”

Vitamins in a can?

Energy drinks containing herbal supplements tout their beverages as being healthful and performance enhancing. . Some offer compounds which are supposed to provide antioxidants such as green tea extract, taurine, quercetin and ginseng. Some advertise anti-inflammatory qualities such as ginseng and quercetin. Others claim to improve memory and mental alertness with Ginkgo biloba, while still others boast physical and cognitive improvement via taurine, glucuronolactone and guarana. However, the quantity of these compounds in energy drinks is not enough to provide the claimed therapeutic benefits, according to research.

Energy drinks are also marketed with the therapeutic effects of multiple B vitamins to ostensibly make the drink healthier. However, the amount of the individual vitamins far exceeds the recommended dietary reference intakes. There is no evidence to support the claims that additional supplementation with the vitamin B complex will enhance physical or cognitive performance.

“The phrase popular now is that ‘you can’t out-train a poor diet,’ ” said Bret Smith, certified personal trainer and owner of The Move Strong Studio in San Diego. “There are, in my opinion, too many unknowns as to the associated ingredients in energy drinks.”

Besides the sugar-free versions, all energy drinks contain carbohydrates in the form of sugars. Not only is glucose integral to the major functioning of the central nervous system, it is a major source of energy for the brain, red blood cells, muscles and other cells of the body.

Official U.S. guidelines suggest a maximum sugar intake of 32 grams for every 2,000 calories consumed. This equates to approximately 7 percent to 8 percent of a person’s total daily caloric intake. A typical 16- or 24-ounce energy drink contains around 60 to 90 grams of sugar, which is two to three times the maximum recommended intake for the entire day. Consuming carbohydrates in excessive amounts has been shown to delay gastric emptying, stomach upset and contribute to obesity.

In addition to an overload of caffeine and sugar, energy drinks are expensive. The beverages can cost $3 or more a can depending on the size.

“That is around the same price as a gallon of gas or a gallon of milk,” Smith said.

If money is not a concern, one 8-ounce serving of an energy drink may be acceptable for an adult prior to exercise or as an occasional pick-me-up. However, most nutrition experts agree that energy drinks have no legitimate place in the diets of children or adolescents.

Linda Copp is a registered dietitian in private practice and an instructor of nutrition at San Diego State University and Point Loma Nazarene University. Kyrie Baca, graduate student in nutrition at SDSU, contributed to this report.